Hydro Graphics Inc. gained a sliver of the Ducks' fame recently for the "liquid metal" helmets that the Newberg-based company produced for this year's Rose Bowl. Hydro also has worked closely with Nike on creating other creative designs on the Ducks other helmets, as well as that for other colleges and high schools.

Gereb, HGI vice president of business development and a 1992 OSU graduate with a history degree, has tried to convince Oregon State officials to adopt a snazzier, HGI-produced design for its helmets. He's gone so far as to design and produce prototypes. OSU equipment officials have seen the work, said it was nice but ultimately decided it was not for the Beavers, Gereb said.

So, the Oregon State University men's lacrosse team -- a club sport at the school -- will be the next best thing.

On Saturday in Los Angeles against the UCLA club team, the Beaver's lacrosse team will debut an HGI-produced helmet. The glittery orange mask with matching chin strap mounted on a matte black textured finish shell was a joint design by HGI and lacrosse team leaders, including coach Chad Stelling.

Planning for the new helmet began last fall. Gereb gave the Beavers club, which has a $130,000 budget and requires team members to pay for equipment, a deal that Stelling said was too good to pass up.

"We wanted to do something that was never done before and also have something understated," said Stelling, 31, who earned a finance and economics degree at Oregon State as well as a master's in education. "We didn't want it to be super shiny and foofoo -- but enough pop to get us noticed."

The 32 helmets are intended to be used for special games only and are not expected to replace the Beavers' existing home helmet. The lid's debut in Oregon will take place Saturday, April 21, in Eugene against the University of Oregon's lacrosse team.

"We are currently working with Nike's Graphics Identity Group to review and explore potential new options for our OSU athletics identity package. The intent of this 18-month process is to look at how we might be able to improve the marketing of our programs. The review will look at all parts of the identity package from color schemes to the OSU font and the Beaver logo. The current plan is to announce any changes for the fall of 2013."

Can't come a moment too soon, said Stelling, a Glencoe High School graduate who was a midfielder from 1999 to 2002 for the Beavers when he played for the club team.

"It's something that absolutely needs to change," Stelling said of the Beavers' football team "identity package."

"It's shocking to me they've allowed other schools, especially that other school in Oregon, to surpass them," he said. "One has skyrocketed and the other has not."

Gereb holds out hope that his beloved alma mater joins other colleges and universities that have recognized that a team's branding and packaging hold enormous sway over a 17-year-old's decision about where to play football for one to four years.

Thirty to forty colleges have expressed an interest in some type of "liquid metal" application; 70 to 80 high schools also have contacted HGI about the look. He figures fewer than 10 of the colleges will follow through on a design and says few high schools could afford the application.

The Ducks, meanwhile, have other helmet designs in mind for the 2012 season, none of which Gereb said he is allowed by Nike or UO to discuss.